Good evening Fight Fans, we hope you had happy holidays and a great new year, and will continue to have a good time with tonight's edition of WWE Smackdown! Live! While you're here you can leave a comment below and if you're interested in exclusive content consider our premium service Fightful Select!
-New Day come out to the ring to start the show to celebrate New Years before announcing that all three of them will be in the Royal Rumble match. New Day announce that they aren't allowed to have pancakes on doctors orders as Big-E continues to eat pancakes and tosses them into the crowd. New Day then plug the movie Bumblebee before Xavier plugs the Netflix film Bird Box and that there will be a match to determine who will be in a fatal five way with the winner of that match facing Daniel Bryan at the Royal Rumble.
Jeff Hardy vs Samoa Joe
Joe backs Jeff into the corner and beats Jeff down in the corner before Joe catches the leg of Jeff and rolls into a knee bar. Jeff gets to the bottom rope for the break before hitting a sit-out jawbreaker and sends the leg of Joe into the ring post repeatedly. Jeff gets back into the ring before Joe rolls out of it when Jeff goes for a figure four as we go to commercial.
Joe is in control as we come back from commercial until Jeff comes back with a double ax handle into an inverted atomic drop and a dropkick for a quick two count. Jeff hits a Twist of Fate before he goes up top and hits a Swanton Bomb, but Joe immediately rolls out of the ring before Joe locks in the Coquina Clutch and chokes Jeff before they get back in the ring right before the count of ten. Joe then reapplies the Coquina Clutch once Jeff gets back in for the referee stoppage and the win.
Winner: Samoa Joe defeats Jeff Hardy via referee stoppage with the Coquina Clutch to advance to the fatal five way number one contender match.
-Rusev comes out and celebrates winning the United States Championship and chants USA until Shinsuke comes out of nowhere and attacks him from behind before Rusev kicks Shinsuke with Lana on his back. Shinsuke then hits a running knee and a Kinshasa to Rusev before holding up the belt and draping it over Rusev before leaving.
Naomi vs Sonya Deville
Naomi beats Sonya down before Mandy distracts Naomi and Sonya rolls her up for a near fall before she's distracted again and Sonya drops her with a kick for another early near fall. Naomi then comes back with a springboard roundhouse kick before Mandy gets on the mic and says she sent Jimmy a picture of her in a towel before Sonya hits a vertical drop uranage for the pin and the win.
Winner: Sonya Deville defeats Naomi via pinfall with a vertical drop uranage.
-John Cena comes out to the ring and talks about his year, including writing a children's book, living in China for six months, and his match at WrestleMania before plugging his new movie Bumblebee. Becky Lynch comes out to the ring and talks about her accomplishments this year before mocking John; the pair interrupted by Andrade Almas and Zelina Vega, setting up an tag team match.
John Cena & Becky Lynch vs Andrade Almas & Zelina Vega
Becky starts the match off with Zelina with Becky dropkicking Zelina and John and Almas come in. John counters a side headlock before Almas drops him with a forearm and reapplies the side headlock, Almas taking him down before John gets to his feet. Almas distracts the referee while Zelina boots Cena before Cena counters a suplex into one of his own as we go to commercial.
We come back to Almas in control with the help of Zelina, Almas punching Cena in the corner and stomping him before missing a running double knee strike in the corner. Cena tags Becky in who slams Zelina and drops her with a spinning kick before spearing her and stomping her in the corner. Becky then hits an exploder suplex before Cena hits an AA to Almas and Becky submits Zelina with the Disarmer for the tap and the win.
Winner: John Cena and Becky Lynch defeat Andrade Almas and Zelina Vega when Becky submits Zelina with the Disarmer.
Fatal Five Way Number One Contender Match
AJ Styles vs Rey Mysterio vs Mustafa Ali vs Samoa Joe vs Randy Orton
Ali goes right after Joe who sends him out of the ring before AJ sends Joe out of the ring and AJ hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker to Rey and beats on Randy in the corner. Ali drags AJ out of the ring before AJ sends him into the ring post and Ali hits an enzuigiri into a rolling sit-out facebuster to Randy for a two count that Joe breaks up. AJ whips Rey into the corner sternum first before Rey hits a huricanrrana that sends AJ out of the ring. Randy hits a powerslam before Joe hits an overhead belly to belly that sends Randy out of the ring and AJ hits a tornado DDT as we go to commercial.
Randy is in control of AJ before Rey chops and kicks Randy, only to be dropped as Daniel Bryan looks on from backstage. AJ sends Randy over the top and bounces Rey out of the ring before Randy distracts AJ and Randy back drops him onto the apron before Joe puts AJ through the announce table with a uranage. Ali counters a huricanrrana before Rey hits it on the second attempt and Ali catches Rey up top before Ali hits a Spanish fly for a near fall that Joe breaks up. Ali hits a satellite DDT before missing the 054 and Joe locks in the Coquina Clutch before Rey hits a 619 and Randy hits an RKO to Ali that Rey breaks up. Rey then hits an enzuigiri into a 619 before Joe sends Rey out of the ring and AJ hits a springboard 450 for the pin and the win onto Randy.
Winner: AJ Styles defeats Randy Orton, Mustafa Ali, Samoa Joe and Rey Mysterio when AJ pins Randy with a springboard 450 splash to earn a shot at Daniel Bryan's WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble.
